An and Ria on their very first flight

Two Dutch women, An and Ria, both in their 70s go on a flight for the very first time care of Vodafone’s #firsts campaign.

Meeting only for the first time on flight day, they each have different journeys in the lead up to it. Whilst An had always been too afraid to fly, Ria had never done it because her husband was always too afraid. You can see how these two wonderful women prepare and react to their first flight in the short film below…

An & Ria go on their very first flight 

Whereas An does a virtual reality flight as practice, Ria chooses to go on a roller coaster! It’s impossible not to fall utterly in love with Ria as she laughs her way through her roller coaster ride and then asks her granddaughter at the end of it if her hair is still okay (this last bit is actually in an outtake you can watch on the Vodafone #firsts website here).

We see An getting to grips with her tablet and practicing with her husband making a phone call so she could call him as soon as they land. Ria’s pure joy at everything is infectious. 

The film is 10 minutes long and it’s a truly fantastic 10 minutes too. It made me laugh, cry, believe in the magic of flying and fall in love with travel all over again… More than that, it’s about conquering fears as well as a reminder that you really are never too old! Watch it – all of it. Seriously, it’s one of the best things you’ll find on the internet!

I love the courage and sense of adventure they both show in completely different ways. The emotion afterwards and the realisation that they are somewhere completely new is just the cherry on top of their wonderful journey. It’s a great reminder of just how incredible it is to be up in the sky with clouds beneath you in a big metal machine. Your next flight might not match the special plane put on for An and Ria’s first flight but I hope it’ll make you want to look out of the window in wonder too. 

Thanks to Vodafone and their #firsts campaign. If I had a hat on, I would take my hat off to you! And especial thanks to An and Ria for letting us be part of their incredible journey. You are both heroes to me!